LICHOW, APOSTOLIC PREFECTURE OF. — In the civil province of Hunan, in central China. Erected on 6 May 1931, by division of the vicariate apostolic of Changteh (v.), it is entrusted, like the mother mission, to the Order of the Hermits of St Augustine, which sends, for the apostolic work, the fathers of the province of the Most Holy Name of Jesus in the Philippines. It depends directly on the Holy See.
It has an area of 15,200 sq km. As of 30 June 1950, out of a population of approximately 2,000,000 inhabitants, there were 6,203 Catholics, served by 9 regular priests and 2 secular priests, with 8 parishes and 34 churches. The auxiliary personnel consists of 6 sisters and 9 catechists.
BIBL.: AAS, 24 (1932), p. 46; GM, pp. 201-202; MC, 1950, pp. 368-369; Archivio S. Congr. de Prop. Fide, Relazione L., 1950.